Letter to the Governor

On January 15, 2015, Michigan IPL staff and Board member and retired Bishop John Schleicher (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) hand-delivered a letter, signed by 85 clergy from around the state, to the Governor’s office. The letter urges the Governor to pursue a bold clean energy plan that will protect the health of our communities and our earth.

Dear Governor Snyder,

As leaders from diverse religious traditions across the state (Christian, Muslim, Jewish and others), we write to you to express our support for strong clean energy policy in Michigan. We speak not as scientists or policy experts, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as people of faith who are united by a moral duty. We believe we are all called to be stewards of God’s creation. This means stewarding our natural resources with respect and gratitude: shrinking our carbon footprint, reducing energy waste and increasing our use of clean renewable energy.

We are very encouraged by the Public Service Commission’s 2013 findings showing that Michigan is not only expected to meet the renewable energy and energy efficiency standards put into place in 2008, but that our state has the capacity to pursue even more ambitious clean energy goals. Because of the progress utilities have made toward reaching PA 295’s targets, our state is also well-positioned to achieve the carbon pollution safeguards of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Reducing carbon pollution is a positive side effect of the policies already in place, but also an area of concern that demands action in its own right.

The broad consensus in the scientific community is that carbon pollution is responsible for rising global temperatures and the increasing frequency of severe weather events. The water crisis caused by the algae blooms in Lake Erie and the recent flooding in Metro Detroit show us that we cannot defer action on climate change—it is affecting us right now, right here in Michigan. Carbon pollution also damages public health, causing asthma and worsening heart and lung disease. Science, faith, and common sense agree: it is wiser to invest in the protection of our health and environment now than to pay more dearly down the road.

What is at stake are human lives that will be gravely affected by unchecked carbon pollution and continued environmental degradation. Michigan’s most vulnerable citizens—the very old and the very young, the oppressed, the poor and the infirmed—will bear the heaviest burdens of the health crises and natural disasters caused by climate change. It is on their behalf that we as faith leaders and as governmental agencies are obliged to take action now.

By pursuing ambitious clean energy goals now, we will not only prevent a future of poor health for our citizens and our air, land and water, we will also create jobs in Michigan’s growing clean energy sector. Building on our state’s legacy of innovation in manufacturing and technology will boost our economy and provide employment opportunities for those Michiganders still reeling from the Great Recession, many of whom sit in our pews and receive food from our pantries.

We pray for our state legislature as it considers renewable and efficient energy goals for the future and how these might align with national carbon reduction targets. And we pray for your leadership in securing a sustainable and just future for all.